ਸਿਰੁ ਕੰਪਿਓ ਪਗ ਡਗਮਗੇ ਨੈਨ ਜੋਤਿ ਤੇ ਹੀਨ ॥

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਭਈ ਤਊ ਨ ਹਰਿ ਰਸਿ ਲੀਨ ॥੪੭॥

Sar Kampeo Pag Dagmage Nain Jot Te Heen |

Kaho Naanak Eh Bidh Bhei Tou Na Har Ras Leen | 47 |

Now that thy head is trembling, and wavering are thy feet,

And the power-sight of your eyes is blurry, accepting its defeat.

Says Naanak, look, O man, what is happening to you,

And yet to imbibe Lord’s name-nectar you did not have clue.

Commentary:

Guru Ji now concludes that we must take a good look at our whole life and see how the time has flown, and here we are in our old age: our head trembles, our feet cannot move accordingly and firmly, and also we cannot see properly, due to the fact that power of eye sight is decreasing and losing its command. In this old age, we can still pray lord, but we avoid it, because we are clinging to our weaknesses at this moment, and our mind keeps reminding us we have this problem, then that problem. In a way, we keep whining about our problems and issues which succumb us under their weight. We only think of diseases and refuse to sing godly glories. Now, if godly grace is bestowed upon us then the magical moment of chanting a hymn will smoothly occur, else our existence has been a waste, in other words we have lived a life worse than an animal: we ate, drank, and then when we had nothing worthwhile to do we got in trivial fights to prove our importance and selfishness. With this Saloka, Guru Ji advises us that this fragile body when reaches its old age, there is nothing we can do, because our habits had been so ingrained in our blood and bones, that it becomes impossible to change them during silver-headed, wrinkly period of life. Only divine grace actually can help, as He himself wrote in one of his Shabads:

ਅਜਾਮਲੁ ਪਾਪੀ ਜਗੁ ਜਾਨੇ ਨਿਮਖ ਮਾਹਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਾ ॥

Ajaamal Paapi Jag Jaane Nimakh Maahe Nistaaraa ||

In the entire world, Ajaamal, as sinner was known

In a second, Its kindness upon him has shown.

Ajaamal, as Guru Ji says, was a devotee, who got astray, and thus becoming cruel and sinner, but at his death-bed, he was determined to see God, that God arrived and embraced him and saved him. Now, this episode, does not give us the licence to do whatever we want in our life and chant the name of the Divine at our death-bed so that we are saved. Remember, Ajaamal was a devotee, then became a sinner, but deep-down he knew that the Divine is watching him, else how would he be chanting God’s name at the death-bed. So, please, let’s go and continue on our voyage of Divine seeking. 

Satnaam Sri Waheguru and Jai Sri Hari

P.S. 

Keep yourselves safe. God bless you all.